REPETITIONS OF THE OLD CITY - I

This is an excellent album. My personal favorite album of 2016 and amongst my favorite albums in general. In fact, it motivated me to stop being so lazy and finally write my first ever album review.

It hits the perfect balance of challenging, boundary pushing music that still stays in the range of melodic and enjoyable. The multilayered nature of the music, its chamber music feel, and the large array of instruments used, seem to bring old tradition into the present without adhering to any one genre or label, simply modern and forward looking.

Unlike a large amount of music that some of us like to label as "prog", this music is very emotional and has some very engrossing story-telling-style lyrics. For example, "The Old Man and the Table Saw" and "When the Door Opens, It Opens on Everything" both deal with old and dying family members and does it with extreme candor from an interesting viewpoint. It honestly felt quite refreshing and helpful when I was dealing with my own death in the family around the time this album was released.

All in all, I can't recommend this album enough. The music and musicianship are extraordinary. The instrument mix and attention to detail is superb. The album feels well rounded with a variety of themes spanning multiple songs giving it a loose but definite theme. Everything one can ask for in a superb album which deserves much more attention that what it is getting.